Cooking surfaces such as grills and oven interiors are often soiled with deposits of baked-on or cooked-on foods, in particular deposits of baked-on or cooked-on oily or greasy food. Cleaning compositions containing high amounts of caustic compounds such as hydroxides can be used to clean cooking surfaces, but these compositions are often corrosive to the skin and eyes, i.e., they can damage tissues. Oily or greasy soils can deposit on counters or walls near a cooking surface, unfortunately caustic solutions are capable of producing damage to painted surfaces, chrome and aluminum.
Additionally, many oven cleaning compositions require the presence of heat to be effective. Operators may be burned when applying such compositions to a hot cooking surface. Some oven cleaner are effective at room temperature, but require the presence of volatile or toxic solvents. Other grill and oven cleaning compositions are in powder form; since powders are not conveniently applied to surfaces such as oven walls, these powders may require the addition of water to form liquids, foams or gels.
Mukai et al., U.S. Pat. No. 3,658,711 disclose oven cleaning compositions comprising soap, inorganic cleaner, and an enhancer of the formula: EQU NH.sub.2 CH.sub.2 CH.sub.2 CH.sub.2 --(OCH.sub.2 CH.sub.2).sub.n --OH
wherein n is a number from about 2 to about 12. Suitable inorganic cleaners include, for example, carbonates. The compositions can also contain humectants such as propylene glycol and glycerol, and are disclosed as effective at room temperature.
Mukai et al., U.S. Pat. No. 3,813,343, disclose cleaning compositions suitable for use as oven cleaners and comprising surfactant, a non-caustic inorganic cleaner such as carbonates, an amine and/or ammonia, and organic solvent insoluble or partially soluble in water, and dimethyl sulfoxide. The compositions can also contain humectants such as propylene glycol and glycerol, and are effective a room temperature.
Schoenholz et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,116,848, disclose cleaning compositions suitable for use as oven cleaners and comprising at least one alkali metal salt of a weak organic acid. The compositions can include cationic surfactants such as amines without intermediate linkages. The compositions can also comprise alkaline finely divided materials such as alkaline earth carbonates, and polyhydric alcohols such as, for example, glycerol, ethylene glycol, and diethylene glycol. Schoenholz et al. disclose that for oven cleaning it is preferred to operate at temperatures between 250.degree. F. and 550.degree. F.
Schoenholz et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,193,886, disclose weakly alkaline cleaning compositions suitable for use as oven cleaners comprising at least one polyhydric alcohol, at least one alkali metal bicarbonate, and at least one alkali metal salt of a weak organic acid. The compositions can include cationic surfactants such as amines without intermediate linkages. Schoenholz et al. disclose that the compositions are effective without the need to heat the ovens above the moderate temperatures used in cooking, for example 300.degree. F. to 350.degree. F.
Dillarstone et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,214,915 disclose oven cleaner compositions comprising, by weight, from 1% to 2% sodium bicarbonate and from 14% to 17% potassium bicarbonate in a weight ratio of sodium bicarbonate to potassium bicarbonate of from 1:7 to 1:17. The compositions may also comprise surfactant. The compositions are applied to a soiled cooking surface at a temperature of approximately 200.degree. F., and the surface is then heated to approximately 475.degree. F. before being allowed to cool. The softened deposits are then removed.
Falivene, U.S. Pat. No. 4,289,640, discloses dry powder cleaning suitable for use as oven and grill cleaner compositions and comprising a synthetic organic detergent, an organic hydrotrope, an abrasive, and a detergent builder; the powder can optionally contain anti-dusting agents such as propylene glycol. Suitable detergents include amine oxides, and suitable builder salts include alkali metal carbonates or alkali metal bicarbonates.
Lentsch et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,364,551, disclose a reduced misting oven cleaner having a particle size of greater than 170 um, and comprising an alkali metal hydroxide, an organic surfactant, an organic polymer thickener, and water. Suitable surfactants include amine oxides. The composition can comprise a strong base, including, for example, monoethanolamine, diethanolamine, triethanolamine, sodium hydroxide, and potassium hydroxide, and an aqueous compatible solvent, including, for example, ethylene glycol, diethylene glycol, triethylene glycol, and propylene glycol. The compositions are disclosed as effective at room temperature.
Griepenburg et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,380,454, disclose oven cleaning compositions comprising from 1% to 12% monoethanolamine, from 2% to 20% diethylene glycol monobutyl ether and from 1% to 10% sodium or potassium bicarbonate. The compositions can comprise surfactants and are effective at room temperature.
R & C Products PTY, Limited, EPO 0 103 466 A1, discloses oven cleaning compositions comprising non-caustic alkali metal carbonate, sesquicarbonate or bicarbonate; water and a polyhydric alcohol. The compositions can also comprise surfactants. The compositions are applied to a soiled cooking surface at a temperature of approximately 125.degree. C., and the softened deposits are then removed.
Ecolab Inc., WO 94/28108, discloses thickened aqueous cleaning compositions suitable for removing baked-on soils. The thickening system contains an amine, quaternary amine, or amine oxide. The compositions can contain a source of alkalinity; suitable sources include strong nitrogen bases such as ammonia, monoethanolamine, diethanolamine, and triethanolamine, and inorganic bases such as sodium or potassium hydroxide. The compositions can also comprise glycol ether solvents such as, for example, diethylene glycol and propylene glycol. The compositions are disclosed as effective at low to moderate temperatures (50.degree. F. to 140.degree. F.).
Cripe et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,376,310, disclose light-duty liquid or gel dishwashing compositions comprising alkyl ethoxy carboxylate surfactant, magnesium ions, magnesium chelating agent, and a buffering agent to maintain the pH of the compositions from about 8 to 10. The buffering agent may be an amine. The compositions may also comprise co-surfactants, such as polyhydroxy fatty acid amide surfactants and amine oxide surfactants, and from 0% to 15% of alcohol, such as propylene glycol.
There is a continuing need for safe, non-corrosive oven and grill cleaning compositions capable of effective cleaning.